PLACES--'UPCOUNTRY FISHING GEAR SHOP' PINE MEADOW CONNECTICUT

                                                       

WAITING FOR SPRING—LONG TIME READERS KNOW THAT IT’S SOMETHING I SEEM TO DO A LOT OF –(ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER).. WITH THE COMING OF WARMER WEATHER CERTAIN RITUALS PRESENT THEMSELVES..TIME TO GET SOME FERTILIZER ON THE LAWN—CHECK OVER THE LAWN TRACTOR (NEED A NEW ONE THIS YEAR)..

LOST A MONSTER RAINBOW TROUT HERE A FEW YEARS BACK
WITH ONLY ABOUT FIVE OR SIX MORE FEET OF LINE TO GO

MAYBE ADD A LITTLE MULCH AROUND THE FLOWERS TO MAKE EVERYTHING PRETTY AND NEAT..GOTTA PICK UP SOME OF THOSE ORANGE PLASTIC THINGS FOR THE WEED WHACKER..MY OTHER HALF, CAROL, DOES A GREAT JOB OF PICKING UP SOME POTTED PLANTS (I LEAVE THOSE CHOICES UP TO HER TASTES).  AFTER A WHILE AND A BIT OF WORK WE HAVE THE PLACE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD..

MY FISHING PARTNER--JAY MORIN -- FRIENDS SINCE WE WERE TEN YEARS OLD
AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING THE GODFATHER OF HIS SON, LUKAS

I HAVE TWO RITUALS THAT I LOVE PERFORMING..ONE IS TAKING THAT WINDSHIELD OFF THE MOTORCYCLE AND THE OTHER IS VISITING THE ‘UP COUNTRY’ FISHING SHOP IN PREPARATION FOR FISHING SEASON..

LIKE A CANDY STORE FOR SOME OF US GUYS

USUALLY MY FISHING PARTNER, JAMES (JAY) MORIN AND I WILL HEAD UP TO PINE MEADOW CONNECTICUT, STOP FOR A COFFEE AND ENJOY BROWSING AND SELECTING A FEW OF THE FLIES AND OTHER GOODIES WE JUST MIGHT NEED FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON..ALWAYS GOOD PEOPLE WILLING TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT FLY IS “HOT” AND WHAT PART OF THE RIVER YOU WANT TO BE ON.

 

OF COURSE I TAKE THESE SUGGESTIONS WITH THE PROVERBIAL GRAIN OF SALT..SPEAKING STRICTLY FOR MYSELF, IF I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF FINDING A SPOT WHERE THE TROUT WERE FRISKY AND PLAYFUL, I WOULDN’T BE TELLING EVERYBODY WHERE TO FIND THEM AND WHAT KIND OF FLY THEY LIKED..BUT, THAT’S JUST ME..

HAWK'S EYE VIEW OF THE BEAUTIFUL FARMINGTON RIVER

BUT!!  THERE ARE TWO GUYS WORKING THERE THAT I CERTAINLY WOULD TRUST..GRADY ALLEN IS THE OWNER OF THE BEAUTIFUL SHOP..IF HE TOLD JAY AND I TO HEAD UPSTREAM FOR THREE MILES AND USE A #18 BLUE WING OLIVE OR DOWNSTREAM FOR SIX MILES AND TO TIE ON A #16 PALE EVENING DUN, THAT’S  WHAT WE WOULD DO. GRADY HAS LIVED IN NEW HARTFORD FOR ALL HIS LIFE AND HAS OWNED THE SHOP FOR 15 YEARS..OVER 60% OF THE FLIES IN HIS SHOP ARE TIED LOCALLY..A FEW PATTERNS ARE UNIQUE TO THE FARMINGTON RIVER..

MEET GRADY ALLEN-OWNER OF 'UPCOUNTRY' AND LIFE-LONG RESIDENT
OF BEAUTIFUL NEW HARTFORD CONNECTICUT

ANOTHER GENT WHOSE WORDS ARE GOLDEN WOULD BE –DON BUTLER- KNOWN AS THE ‘FISH FOX’. HE HAS A GUIDE SERVICE FOR BOTH THE FARMINGTON AND HOUSATONIC RIVERS..WHEN I’M IN THE STORE I WILL ALWAYS TRY TO HEAR WHATEVER THIS MAN HAS TO SAY AS FAR AS FISHING GOES..HE HAS CAUGHT A TROUT ON A DRY-FLY FOR 83 MONTHS IN A ROW!! YEA, IF HE SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT FISHING I PAY ATTENTION..

HERE'S DON BUTLER--THE "FISH FOX"

IF YOU’VE EVER FELT LIKE YOU MIGHT JUST LIKE TO GIVE FLY-FISHING A WHIRL THIS IS THE PLACE TO VISIT FIRST..THEY OFFER CLASSES—SELL FISHING LICENSE- HAVE A WIDE SELECTION OF GREAT EQUIPMENT—AND A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU JUST WOULDN’T FIND ANYPLACE ELSE..IF YOUR ALREADY A FISHING ENTHUSIAST STOP IN AND CHECK OUT THE FLY ASSORTMENT AND ALL THE OTHER YUMMIES THAT A FISHERMAN JUST HAS TO HAVE.. 

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST INFO ON RIVER CONDITIONS-WHAT FLIES ARE WORKING-WHERE TO STAY IF YOU PLAN ON VISITING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS—PLACES FOR CHOW-FISHING TIPS- ETC..THIS AREA IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SECTIONS OF CONNECTICUT AND THIS SHOP IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE STOPS..I’LL EVEN BRING MY MOTORCYCLE TO A HALT THERE SOMETIMES JUST TO PICK UP A FEW FLIES AND SEE IF I CAN LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN CALLED–THE FARMINGTON RIVER..

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE AT— wwwFarmingtonRiver.com

TILL NEXT WEEK---HOPE ALL IS WELL AND REMAINS WELL WITH YOU AND YOURS

AND REMEMBER---CATCH AND RELEASE---IS VERY COOL

                                                                              JIM      

PLACES-COLLINSVILLE ANTIQUES OF NEW HARTFORD

WOW!! SATURDAY WAS ONE BEAUTIFUL DAY..MOST OF THE CHORES THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION WERE DONE AND THE ONES THAT DIDN'T NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION WHERE JUST THAT-THEY COULD WAIT..


HAD TO TAKE MY MOM AND HER FRIEND TO THE AIRPORT BUT AFTER THAT, THERE WAS NOTHING STANDING IN THE WAY OF SPENDING A COUPLE OF HOURS ON THE BIKE OUT IN THE COUNTRY SOMEPLACE..

UNCHAINED THE BIKE FROM THE WALL, UNLOCKED THE WHEEL LOCK-THEN UNLOCKED THE NECK LOCK-GOOD..CHECKED THE OIL-GOOD..CHECKED THE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS-GOOD..DOUBLE CHECK ON THE BRAKE LIGHTS-GOOD AGAIN..NO OBVIOUS TIRE PROBLEMS-GOOD..BUT LOW ON GAS --NO PROBLEM...


THEN A VOICE SOMEWHERE IN MY MIND SAID, "DON'T RIDE YOUR BIKE TODAY!!"
I CONTINUED WITH MY PREPARATIONS-GLOVES JACKET ETC. HOPING THE VOICE WOULD RETURN AND SAY, "ONLY KIDDING, GO AHEAD, AND RIDE."



WELL THE VOICE DIDN'T RETURN. SO, WHILE I STOOD THERE STARING AT MY BEAUTIFUL BLACK AND CHROME MONSTER, I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY TALKING TO THE VOICE MYSELF..
"IT'S A BEAUTY OF A DAY," I THOUGHT ALOUD. "ARE YOU SURE  THAT I SHOULDN'T GO FOR A BIT OF A RIDE?"

SILENCE---THEN MORE SILENCE---SO AFTER ALL OF MY PREPARATIONS AND HAPPY ANTICIPATIONS I WHEELED THE BIKE BACK INTO HER CORNER..I KNOW IT'S KIND OF CREEPY BUT SOMETIMES I DO LISTEN TO THE VOICES INSIDE MY HEAD.

I DO BELIEVE IN PREMONITIONS (SOME OTHER POST MAYBE) AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF BEAUTIFUL DAYS AHEAD OF US SO MY OTHER HALF AND I WENT FOR SOME CHOW AND WENT FOR A RIDE. WE DECIDED TO VISIT A PRETTY COOL PLACE..WE RETURNED WITH SOME PHOTOS OF SOME OLD AND UNUSUAL PIECES..WE COULD HAVE SPEND HOURS IN THE PLACE AND NOT SEE EVERYTHING..FOR SURE-SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY..HOPE THAT VOICE DOESN'T RETURN THIS WEEKEND!! TILL NEXT WEEK----------STAY WELL AND STAY SAFE----------JIM

THINGS--SPRING EQUINOX--FINALLY



THE START OF ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY

THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I HAVE ACTUALLY MARKED DAYS OFF THE CALENDAR IN ANTICIPATION OF A END TO AN UNPLEASANT SITUATION.. THE EARLIEST EPISODE I REMEMBER IS THE SCHOOL YEAR.. I HATED SCHOOL WITH A PASSION..THERE WERE TIMES WHEN MY POOR PARENTS SPENT MORE TIME IN SCHOOL THAN I DID, TALKING TO THE PRINCIPAL, MY GUIDANCE CONSOLER, AND SEVERAL OF MY TEACHERS..(I DID PAY ATTENTION IN ENGLISH CLASS BECAUSE I HAD A CRUSH ON THE TEACHER—TRY AS I MIGHT I COULDN’T TALK HER INTO GOING OUT WITH ME-SKIPPED THE SENIOR PROM BECAUSE SHE WOULDN’T GO WITH ME)..

A ROBIN WHO HAS RETURNED TO BUILD HIS NEST IN A PIECE OF SHRUBERY
THAT HE SEEMS TO PREFER IN OUR YARD

ANOTHER LIST THAT I REMEMBER BEING A ‘COUNT DOWN’ DEALT WITH MY FEW REMAINING WEEKS IN THE MARINES..I ACTUALLY FIGURED OUT HOW MANY MEALS I HAD LEFT TO EAT BEFORE I COULD ENJOY SOME OF MOM’S HOME-COOKING..THERE WERE ALSO TEN DAYS DOWN IN GEORGIA THAT PASSED EXTREMELY SLOW FOR ME BUT THOSE I WON’T MENTION HERE.

SOME EARLY BLOOMERS THAT ARE A SURE SIGN OF SPRING-IN OUR YARD

I ALSO HAD A ‘COUNT DOWN’ LIST WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR MY OTHER HALF TO WRAP UP A FEW DETAILS BEFORE SHE COULD LEAVE HER HOME STATE AND BEGIN ANEW WITH ME HERE IN CONNECTICUT..

LOVE THIS TREE--IN OUR BACK YARD-I DON'T EVEN MIND
CLEANING UP THE PINE CONES IT DROPS

NOW-A-DAYS I USUALLY MUDDLE MY WAY THROUGH LIFE WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A ‘COUNT DOWN’ LIST..THE ANNUAL VACATION BEING THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THE RULE..THINGS COME ALONG AND I DEAL WITH THEM AS GRACEFULLY AS I CAN..WITHOUT WONDERING ‘HOW MANY MORE DAYS OF THIS DO I HAVE TO DEAL WITH?”

JUST LIKE THE OLD BUILDING

SPRING EQUINOX IS NEXT WEEK ON THE 20^TH..FOR US IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE IT MEANS WARMER WEATHER IS ON THE WAY—IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE THEY’RE GETTING READY FOR AUTUMN..IT’S THE POINT IN EARTHS ORBIT WHERE DAY AND NIGHT ARE (FOR ALL INTENTS) EQUAL..WE OWE THIS DISTINCTION IN THE CHANGING OF SEASONS TO EARTH’S TILT (23.4 DEGREES). IN WINTER WE ARE TIPPED AWAY FROM THE SUN AND IN SUMMER TOWARDS THE SUN..IT’S THE TILT THAT DETERMINES HOW EASILY THE SUN’S RAYS PASS THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE THEREBY RAISING OR LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE..IF THERE WAS NO TILT THERE WOULD BE NO VARIATION IN THE LENGTH OF DAY AND NIGHT OTHER THAN AT DIFFERENT LATITUDES-THERE WOULD ALSO BE NO SEASONS..



REGULAR READERS HAVE MET DAVE BEFORE-HE'S BEEN ON THE BLOG TWO OR THREE TIMES
DAVE'S BEEN ON DIRT BIKES FOR TEN YEARS
DECIDED TO STOP BY AND SHOW ME HIS FIRST HARLEY!!
2008 FAT BOB
NICE BIKE DAVE--WE'LL RIDE THIS SUMMER FOR SURE!!

THE GREAT SPHINX POINTS DIRECTLY AT THE RISING SUN ON THE MORNING OF THE SPRING EQUINOX..NOW THOSE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY HAD A SERIOUS ‘COUNT DOWN’ LIST..DON’T HAVE TO BE THAT DRAMATIC THOUGH, THERE ARE SIGNS OF SPRING’S APPROACH ALL AROUND US.. THOUGHT I’D JUST TAKE SOME PHOTOS OF SOME HERE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE TO SHARE WITH THE READERS OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE..HOPE YOU FOLKS HAVE AS EASY A WINTER AS WE DID UP ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE EQUATOR--GOOD LUCK TO YOU.....
                                                        UNTIL NEXT WEEK
                                                                       STAY SAFE
                                                                              STAY WELL
                                                                                       STAY SANE
                                                                                  AND STAY TUNED
                                                                                          TALK TO YOU AGAIN SOON
                                                                                                       JIM

THINGS---SNOW---FOR ROSE FROM OZ

DON'T REALLY LIKE THE STUFF BUT A LITTLE BIT IS PRETTY

I THINK WE HAVE ALL HEARD THAT NO TWO SNOWFLAKES ARE THE SAME..TO ME THAT IS ONE OF THOSE STATEMENTS THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE OR TO DISPROVE..I MEAN WHO IS GOING TO HAVE THE ABILITY, OR THE TIME, OR THE PATIENCE AND DON’T EVEN CONSIDER THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES OF CAREFULLY EXAMINING EACH AND EVERY SNOWFLAKE THAT FALLS (AND THAT HAVE FALLEN) TO SAY WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT “NO TWO SNOWFLAKES ARE THE SAME.”

KIND OF IN THE SAME LEAGUE WITH THOSE THEORETICAL ASTRO-PHYSICISTS THAT STATE THERE ARE PARALLEL UNIVERSES IN WHICH A NUMBER OF REPLICAS THAT ARE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME EXIST GOING ABOUT THEIR LIVES..THE MULTI-UNIVERSE THEORY FALLS SQUARELY INTO THAT CATEGORY OF VAGUE IDEAS THAT CANNOT AND PERHAPS WILL NEVER BE PROVEN NOR DISPROVED-SIMPLY FODDER TO ENTERTAIN THE MORE IMAGINATIVE AND CREATIVE (?) MINDS AMONG US.

I'VE SHOWN YOU THIS STREAM BEFORE IN THE SUMMER TIME

ANYWAY ON WEDNESDAY THE 29^TH OF FEB. SNOW WAS IN THE SKY AND STICKING TO THE GROUND..IT WAS ONLY THE THIRD OR FORTH TIME THIS WINTER THAT I FIRED UP THE SNOW THROWER AND I AM NOT COMPLAINING AT ALL..AS THE SNOW PILED UP MY MIND PLAYED UPON   THE ‘NO TWO ALIKE’ STATEMENT. FIGURED I WOULD RESEARCH IT  A BIT FURTHER AND TO MY SURPRISE I CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING INFO..

IT MIGHT BE TRUE FOR FULLY DEVELOPED FLAKES-BUT IT MAY NOT BE TRUE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF SNOW CRYSTAL FORMATION..SNOW SCIENTIST, CHARLES KNIGHT AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH IN BOULDER COLORADO, ESTIMATES THAT THERE ARE 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 (DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SAY THIS NUMBER) WATER MOLECULES IN A TYPICAL SNOW CRYSTAL.. ‘THE WAY THEY CAN ARRANGE THEMSELVES IS ALMOST INFINITE.’ AFTER CHECKING OUT A BUNCH OF ELECTRON MICROSCOPE PHOTOS OF SNOW FLAKES  I BEGAN TO BELEIVE THAT MAYBE THERE ARE NO TWO SNOWFLAKES ALIKE BUT WE WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW FOR CERTAIN.



LAST TIME I POSTED THIS PLACE THERE WAS A RED TRACTOR PARKED IN THE FIELD

THE ABOVE I LEARNED ON THE ‘NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC NEWS’ SITE..LOG ONTO IT THEN TYPE IN ‘NO TWO SNOWFLAKES THE SAME LIKELY TRUE.’ PRETTY INFORMATIVE STUFF AND IT KIND OF MADE ME LOOK DIFFERENTLY AT ALL THAT WHITE FLUFFY STUFF..JUST ANOTHER IN A LONG LIST OF NATURE’S BEAUTIFUL AND MYSTERIOUS WORKINGS..O.K. I RELENT, MAYBE THERE ARE PARALLEL UNIVERSES.. (BUT I DOUBT IT)

SOME MORE PHOTOS FOR YOU FOLKS WHO DON'T GET TO ENJOY(?) THE WHITE FLUFFY STUFF TOO OFTEN-ESPECIALLY 'ROSE FROM OZ' FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER..   

YEARS AGO I GOT CAUGHT ON THIS ROAD IN A SNOW STORM ON MY MOTORCYCLE WITH
A BLOWN OUT TIRE



JUST GOT A LUCKY SHOT OF THIS ELEGANT HUNTER 

 WELL SPRING IS JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AWAY..ALREADY THIS WEEK WE TURN THE CLOCKS AHEAD AGAIN (I WAS JUST BEGINNING TO GET USED TO HAVING THEM TURNED BACK). BEEN KIND OF TRICKY GETTING OUT AND HOOKING UP WITH PEOPLE BUT I'VE TRIED TO MUDDLE MY WAY
THROUGH THESE WINTER MONTHS THE BEST I COULD..HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE LONG TILL
I START SHOWING YOU PHOTOS THAT HAVE SOME SUMMER SCENERY AND MOTORCYCLES..

 ********************************TILL NEXT WEEK**********************************
**************************************JIM******************************************